Cab strikes crowd near Boston’s Logan Airport, injuring 10

BOSTON -- A taxicab drove into a crowd of people near Logan International Airport on Monday afternoon, sending 10 people — some with serious injuries — to area hospitals, according to officials.

The incident was believed to be “a case of operator error,” not terrorism, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the situation.

Authorities in Boston say the incident happened around Logan Airport’s taxicab pool. Based on initial information, it appeared that the vehicle’s driver hit the gas rather than the brakes, according to the official familiar with the investigation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the probe.

“Certainly not an act of terrorism by any stretch,” the official said, adding that the cabbie remained on the scene after the incident.

The Massachusetts State Police said that at about 1:40 p.m., the taxi drove into a group standing in a break area frequented by cabdrivers outside the pool.

The cabdriver, who was not initially identified, is a 56-year-old man from Cambridge, and he was being interviewed by troopers after the incident, state police said in a statement. According to the statement, state police say no preliminary information suggests the crash was intentional, but troopers are investigating to determine the cause.

Abdias Pierre, a cabdriver, told the Boston Globe that all of those hit were drivers.

“It’s all taxi drivers around here,” Pierre told the newspaper. He said the driver involved in the crash was a longtime presence, adding: “He’s not doing it on purpose.”

Ten people were transported from the incident to three hospitals in the area, said Ana Karina Vivas, a spokeswoman for the Boston Public Health Commission.

The incident in Boston occurred during a holiday weekend and after a number of episodes — later deemed to be terrorist attacks — involving drivers who plowed into crowds at public places, a tactic endorsed by the Islamic State. A deadly truck attack in Nice, France, last year killed 84 people, while multiple attacks involving vehicles have rattled Britain this year.